A Christmas In Daybreak Town
by OctaviaKeybearer
Summary: Ava wants to celebrate Christmas with her fellow Foretellers... But Ira is against it. Finally, she persuades him to agree. As she works to make it the best Christmas ever, something happens. Gula admits his feelings.


(This story is my first completed Fanfiction. I've rated it T,(Teens 13+) For lots and LOTS of Smooching. *Wiggles eyebrows up and down ;)

P. story is so fluffy, it's practically cotton candy! #Gulava Forever! P.P.S. Also, it's way shorter than my other Fanfics, just FYI.)

"Please, please, PLEASE can we celebrate Christmas?" Ava begged Ira. He shook his head. "No, Ava. It's silly to celebrate such a holiday." She groaned. "Ira, all the other wielders are celebrating it. All the people from different unions are giving gifts, being kind to one another, spreading cheer… Why can't we do that?" He turned to her.

"No, Ava. As the Foretellers, we all have a lot of work and responsibility. We shouldn't waste our time on something so Foolish." Just then, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Said Ava. She walked into the spacious entry hall, and opened the large doors. She saw five small gifts, lying on the ground. Each present had one of the Foretellers names on it. She smiled. "Thank you!" She shouted. She couldn't see anyone, but she figured they were still hiding somewhere, so they could see her reaction. She picked them up, and set them on a table inside. Then she walked over to Ira. "Do you know who that was?"

"Who?" He asked, not looking up from his book. "A wielder just left five presents on our doorstep, one for each of us." He sighed. "Alright, fine. If you can get the others to agree that we should celebrate Christmas, then you can. I won't protest anymore." She thought about that. "How about I only have to get two of the other Foretellers, since I know Invi will just agree with you?" He massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, fine, just leave me alone to work." She smiled and skipped off happily. She went up to her room to get their presents. She took them downstairs, and set them down next to the others. She ran up the stairs to Gula's room. She knocked. "Gula?" No response. "Hmm. Maybe he's at the library." She went back to her room to put on a coat, and then headed down to the library.

"Hello, is Gula here?" She asked the Moogle librarian. "Yes Kupo!" It motioned for her to follow it, and floated away. She walked after it. "How long has he been here?" She asked. "Half an hour, Kupo." So he hasn't been here long, she thought. "There he is, Kupo!" It pointed in his direction, and then floated away. She took a deep breath. This was gonna be hard. The level-headed Leopardus leader never agreed to anything that wouldn't benefit him, unless he had to. She walked over to him.

He was reading a book, and had taken his mask off. The master had given them the masks so they would judge each other by personality, and not by looks. Looks can be deceiving, he said. She tiptoed behind him. "Boo!" He jumped a little. "Ava, what are you doing here?" He quickly put on his mask. "It's a library, Gula. I'm allowed to come here." He set his book down on the table next to him.

"Yes, but is there a specific reason you decided to interrupt me?" Here goes,she thought. "Well, actually, yes. Ira said I need to get two other Foretellers to agree to celebrate Christmas. I can't ask Invi, cause she'll just agree with Ira, so I thought I'd ask you and Aced." He looked at her. "And why would I do that?" She sighed. "Because it means a lot to me, and I would very much like to celebrate this holiday with my friends." He stood up.

"Come with me." Puzzled, she followed him. He walked over to a large window that stretched all the way up to the ceiling, and sat down. She sat down across from him. "If you can beat me in a game of chess, I'll agree. But if you lose, you have to do something for me."

That's it. I'm never gonna get to celebrate Christmas, she thought. No one ever beat Gula. "What do you want me to do for you?" He leaned back against the wall. "Well, that's for you to find out." She scoffed. "It's not very fair that you're asking me to do the impossible. No one's ever beaten you in a game of chess." He smirked. "True. But what's a game without a little Risk? Now, Are we going to play, or not?" I sighed. "Yes." They played, and she was losing. When the game was over, he was the Victor. She sat up. "What did you want me to do for you?" He smiled. A real one. "Well... I want you to succeed."

She was confused. "In what?" "In this. I agree to celebrate with you." Her eyes went wide. "What? But I lost!" He laughed. "I think it would be good for all of us to have a break. Just don't forget my present, okay?" She nodded. "I won't. Don't forget mine." He smirked. "I didn't." He sauntered away. She felt her cheeks warm, and groaned. "Why am I blushing!? I shouldn't feel like this!" She told herself.

She knew he didn't feel that way. He would always be the calm, collected leader he usually was. But it still hurt. She took a deep breath, left the library. When she got to the castle, everything was as she left it, except for one thing. When she walked past the table she put the gifts on, she realized there was another one. It was small, and wrapped in pale pink paper, with a lilac bow on top. She picked it up. The tag read, "Ava." she smiled, and set it back down.

She walked into her room, and hung up her coat. "Now to ask Aced." She walked down into the kitchen, where she found Aced eating his breakfast. "Aced?" She asked. He looked up, and swallowed. "What?" "I was wondering if you would celebrate Christmas with us." He scowled. "Why do you need me?" "Ira said I needed to get two other Foretellers. I can't ask Invi, she's biased." He shook his head. "I see. No." She pouted.

"Please?" He looked back to his food. "No." She pondered on what to do. Then she got an idea. "I'll make that Mochi you like, the strawberry kind." He thought about that. "Okay, but you have to make the Mochi today." She smiled, and jumped up and down. "I will, Aced! Don't forget to get everyone a present!" She ran to Ira. He was still working. "Ira, I got Gula and Aced to agree!" He sighed. "Fine. But you have to clean up whatever mess you make when it's over." She nodded. "Okay!" He turned back to his book, and she ran up the stairs and into her room.

She looked in the mirror at her Foretellers attire. "I need something more festive." She walked over to her closet. She pulled out some pale green stockings, and a dress. The dress was a bright, beautiful red. It went down to about halfway down her thighs, and had a rounded neckline that wasn't too high, but wasn't too low. It had short, ruffled cap sleeves, and was hemmed with gold. It had a little black belt at the waist. She pulled them on. She turned to look at herself in the mirror. She wasn't used to seeing her arms. Her perfect skin gleamed in the daylight. She pulled off her mask. She looked at her pale lilac eyes, her rosy cheeks.

She got her brush, and brushed her wavy hair. It was pink, fading into a lighter pink at the tips. As she brushed it, she heard a knock at the door. She set her brush down, and went to pull on her mask. "Come in," she said. It was Gula. He looked at her. "What are you wearing?" He looked on the verge of laughter. She frowned disappointedly. "Do I look that bad?" He shook his head. "No. You look fine. But I don't think Ira will approve of your attire." She scoffed. "I'll still wear the mask. It's a happy medium." He nodded. "I suppose. Does this mean I should put on different clothes too?" She giggled.

"If you want to. You can join me in being festive. And in annoying Ira, of course." He smiled. "Well, I can't let the lady bear the burden alone, can I?" She laughed. "Of course not." He chuckled, and left the room. She picked up Gula's present. It was a book that she had overheard him talking to Ira about. He said he couldn't find it anywhere. So she managed to get her hands on a copy, and wrapped it. She had gotten Invi a dark blue satin hair ribbon, Aced a winter coat, and Ira a set of quills, along with two pots of ink, one blue, one black. She was very happy with the gifts she had gotten everyone.

The extra gift she had gotten Gula was a new chess set. Half of the pieces were gold, with silver accents, and the other pieces were silver, with golden details. She felt a bit nervous. "I hope everyone likes their gifts." She had picked up the chess set on her way home from the library. She hurried to finish wrapping it, and then left her room. She bumped into Gula in the hall. "Oh, sorry."

He nodded. "It's fine. How do I look?" She stepped back to look at his clothes. He was wearing jeans and a Dark Red T-shirt, and a Green vest. He still had his mask on. "You look great. Now Ira can be mad at both of us." He laughed. "Well, shall we?" He motioned towards the stairs. She nodded. "We shall." They walked down the stairs. "So, who's that present for?"He asked.

"I'm not telling." He looked at it. "Hmm. Is it for me?" She smiled. "Maybe." He smirked. "Gonna give me a hint?" She shook her head. "Nope. You'll have to wait and see." He pouted. "Fine." She giggled. Invi walked in as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "What are you two wearing?" She asked. They looked at each other. "We're being festive!" They said it in perfect unison, and then burst out laughing. Invi looked confused.

"Why are you being festive?" Ava then explained her deal with Ira. Invi had a Hurt look on her face. "Why didn't you ask me?" Ava shrugged. "I figured you'd agree with Ira." She frowned. "Well, If you're gonna be festive, I will too." She walked up the stairs and into her room.

Ava and Gula looked at each other. "Well, that was unexpected." Said Ava. "Agreed." He answered. They walked over to the table. Gula had placed his other gifts there. She set down her gift. "Where's Aced?" He shrugged. "I dunno. Probably rushed off to get gifts." She nodded. "Hey, we should get decorations. You wanna come with me to the market?" He smiled. "Sure. I'll go get my coat." When they got to the market, Ava bought Garlands, Bell's, and Bows. She planned on decorating the whole castle. Christmas wasn't until tomorrow, so she had a little time.

"Gula, I think I'm forgetting something." He turned to her. "What do you think it is?" She thought for a moment. Then it hit her. "A Christmas tree!" He smiled. "We'll have to drop this stuff off first." They left it at the castle, and went to buy a tree. Ava and Gula spent half an hour looking for one. He helped her pick one that wouldn't shed. Then they took it back to the castle. After they put it up, Ava started decorating it, and Gula helped.

Invi came out of her room, wearing a green long sleeve, a knee-length red skirt, and green socks and red shoes. she wore a red hat over her indigo hair. After she put her gifts on the table, she helped them finish decorating the tree. Ava then went on to decorate the entire castle, the halls, the kitchen, the living room, everything.

When it was done, all three Foretellers flopped down into the couch, feeling exhausted, but happy. They admired their hard work. "It looks awesome." Said Ava. Gula nodded. "It does look nice, doesn't it?" Invi smiled. "It's lovely." She said. They say there for a little while. Invi stood up. "I'm going to go read a book. If you need anything, just ask." She went upstairs, leaving Ava and Gula alone. Ava looked over at Gula. "Do you wanna help me make the Mochi?" Gula smiled warmly. "Of course."

He stood up, and offered her his hand. She took it, and stood up. They walked into the kitchen. She put on her apron. She made Gula fetch the ingredients, and she put them together. When they were done, they had three, rather large, trays of sweet, fluffy Strawberry Mochi. Gula looked at them. "We can eat a some, right?" She smiled. "Alright, but just a few, okay?"

He nodded, and grabbed one, stuffing it into his mouth. She laughed. "Careful, you'll choke!" He swallowed. "No I won't." She took one, and bit into it. The sweet taste hit her tounge. She ate the rest of it, and licked her fingers. He reached for another, but she stopped him. "Come on, you're gonna get sick." She teased. He smiled slyly.

"You've got flour on your mask." He said. "What?" He nodded. "You should wash it off. I'll check mine too." She took off her mask, and inspected it. There were no visible bits of anything. He also had taken his mask off. She turned to him. "There's nothing on my-" he pressed his lips to hers, cutting her off. She was surprised for a moment, and slowly kissed him back. He smelled like Mint. She put her arms around his neck, and he slipped his arms around her waist. They broke apart, just barely, their noses still brushing. He smiled, a light blush on his cheeks. "I like you." He said. Her heart soared. "I like you too." She pulled him into another kiss.

Just then, Ira walked in. They jumped apart. He raised an eyebrow. "What just happened?" Ava blushed crimson. "N-nothing! Nothing happened." He looked unconvinced. "Well, I must be going. I have more decorating to do." With that, she grabbed Gula's wrist, snatched their masks off the counter, and ran out of the room, pulling him behind her. When they stopped, he started laughing. "What?" He smiled at her. "Nothing."

She handed him his mask. He took it, but didn't put it on. "Come with me." He said, slipping his hand into hers. She blushed a little, and nodded. He took them through the halls. He stopped, and looked around. "This is a secret. You can't tell anyone, okay?" She nodded.

He reached behind a tapestry, and pressed a brick. Then the wall behind the tapestry moved, revealing a doorway. She made a little gasp. He pulled her inside. Once they were in, he pulled a switch, closing the door. He smiled, and motioned for her to follow. They walked for a little bit. "How long have you liked me?" She asked. "I've liked you since you showed up here." He said. She blushed. "I've liked you since you first beat me at chess." He laughed. "That long?" She nodded. He held her hand, and smiled. "We're almost there." They walked out of the tunnel. She made a little gasp.

The room was spacious and beautiful. It had an alcove for sitting and reading, a fireplace with a couch in front of it, and a crystal hanging from the ceiling, glowing with light, even though the sun was still shining. One wall was lined with books. She looked around the room in awe. "How did you find it?" He smiled.

"I didn't. The master gave it to me. He said if I ever needed a quiet place to read or think, I could come here. He also showed me all the secret passageways in the castle." "So that's why I could never find you at dinnertime." He laughed. "Maybe. You could just be terrible at looking." She smacked his arm playfully. "I promise, I won't tell."

He looked into her eyes, and moved his hand to her face. He closed the distance between them. They kissed for a very long time. Eventually, they separated, reluctant to let go of each other. "Come on, they'll notice we're gone soon." He nodded. "Okay." He kissed her again, longer and drawn out. She giggled. "If you keep doing that, we'll never leave." He smiled slyly. "Is that a bad thing?" She smiled, and grabbed his hand. "Come on." He chuckled, and started walking down the passageway. "Do you want to come back some other time?" She nodded. "Its a lovely room. It was very kind of the master to give it to you."

"You're beautiful." He said suddenly. She looked at him. "What?" He smiled. "Without the mask. You're beautiful." She blushed a little. "Well, you're very handsome. I've never seen hair like yours." He looked at her. "Dirty blond hair is common. So are hazel eyes. But I've never seen lilac on someone." She smiled. "I don't think your hair is common. It's golden, like wheat. And your eyes glow when the sun hits them." He smiled warmly.

"Thank you." They walked the rest of the way in silence, holding hands. When they got to the switch, he stopped.

"Ava?" She turned. "Yes?" He held both of her hands in his. "I love you." He kissed her, but not like last time. This was slow and deliberate, trying to convey what words could not. She kissed him back. He pulled away, looking into her eyes, silently asking if she felt the same. "I love you too, Gula. I always will." She kissed him again, and pulled away just as quickly. "Stop doing that, or else we'll never make it downstairs." She scolded. He laughed, and laced their fingers together, giving her butterflies in her stomach.

When they got downstairs, Aced was putting his gifts on the table. He looked up, and saw their hands intertwined. "Okay, what happened? I left for two hours!" Ava giggled. "Nothing happened, Aced." Gula nodded. "Kissed a few times. But otherwise, yeah, nothing happened." She looked at him. "Did you seriously just out that?" She asked.

"What? It happened, didn't it?" She massaged the bridge of her nose. "Yes, but I wasn't exactly planning on going around and telling everyone that we were making out, Gula." He shrugged.

"Eh, what's done is done. C'mon, let's go." Aced was watching this exchange with wide eyes and his mouth open. It's walked up behind him, and patted him on the back. "My friend, if you cannot see Love when it's right in front of your face, then dense you truly are." With that, he walked away, leaving Aced standing alone. He silently finished putting his presents out, and left, going to demand that Ira tell him what happened.

Ava and Gula sat down on the couch. She shivered. He saw this, and stood up. "What's wrong?" She asked. He walked over to where the blankets were, and brought one over. "You're cold." He said, putting the blanket around her. "Aren't you?" He nodded. "A little."

She scooted over a little bit, and opened the blanket. "Come on. I can share." He chuckled, and got under the blanket. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him gently. She put her arms around his middle, and held him. She sighed happily. He stroked her hair, tucking it behind her ear. She was wearing her mask again.

He reached over and pulled it off. She smiled, and pulled his off too. They looked into each other's eyes. She held him closer to her, and rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. Gula rested his chin on the top of her head. They say like that for a while, enjoying each other's warmth. Then Aced walked over. "You guys were making out in the kitchen!?" He glared at him. "Do you mind? We're trying to enjoy Christmas." He scoffed.

"Obviously. I mean, you guys were kissing. But did you have to do it over the food?" Gula rolled his eyes. "It was a kiss, Aced. It's not the end of the world." "Yes it is! You're the calm one! You never act like this!" Gula raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying that I never show emotion?" Aced nodded. "Well, thank you. I try." He turned away, and held Ava, holding her. Aced frowned.

"What is going on? You don't like her." Gula glared at him. "As a matter of fact, Aced, I do. You shouldn't just assume. Now, could you please just leave us alone?" Aced scowled and walked away. Ava giggled, leaned up, and kissed him softly. It was short, but wonderful. They broke apart. They soon got up for dinner, and then went to bed. Ava woke up the next morning, sunlight streaming into her eyes. The events of the previous night were still running through her head. She jumped out of bed, and put on her clothes.

She was wearing a green dress, with a little snowflake pattern on it, and a rounded neckline, with poofed sleeves. It had a little gold belt around the waist. She pulled on red tights, and green shoes. She had bought the dress yesterday, when they bought the decorations. She spun around, and it fluttered around her legs. She smiled. Very cute.

She walked out of her room. She tiptoed down the stairs, only to find Gula sitting on the couch. He was reading a book. She sneaked up behind him. "Ava, that's not going to work." He said, without turning around. She pouted.

He looked up, and smiled. He patted the place next to him. She sat down. "Yes?" She said. "Do you really need the mask?" He asked. "I suppose not." She pulled it off, and set it down next to her. "I bet you just wanted the mask off so you could kiss me." He smiled. "Yes, I did." When he kissed her, she tasted something sweet. She pulled away. "Did you eat some of Aced's Mochi?" He grinned. "Maybe." "You shouldn't do that. He's already mad enough about the kissing, although I don't know why." Gula thought about that for a minute. "I dunno. We shouldn't let him bother us." She nodded, and smiled as he kissed her again. Ira walked in.

"Well, good morning. You're up early." He said. Gula pulled away, an annoyed look on his face. "How come it's always you?" Ira turned around. "Whatever do you mean?" He asked. Gula rolled his honey colored eyes. "Whenever we're together, it's always you who walks in on us." He poured himself a cup of tea. "I don't know what you're talking about." Gula groaned.

"Never mind." Ava smiled, and snuggled up against him. They tried to ignore Ira was there, but they couldn't any longer when he walked over and sat across from them. "Would you prefer Aced walked in on you?" Gula pondered this. "No. That would probably be worse." "I thought so. Now, are we going to open gifts?"

Ava shook her head. "No. We have to wait until everyone is up." Aced walked in, Invi following. Ira gave a pleasant smile. "Well, I do believe that's everyone. Now can we open them?" Ava nodded. "Yes. We should go one at a time." Everyone took a gift from the table, and sat by the fire. "We'll go in a circle. I'll go first." Said Ira. "Okay." He had taken Ava's gift. He opened it, and smiled. "Thank you, Ava. This is a very thoughtful gift. I like it very much." She smiled. "Good. I thought you would." He set it down next to him, and motioned for Aced to go next. After Aced, Invi went, and then Ava. Gula went last.

Eventually, Gula got to Ava's present. He tore the paper off, and saw the book. He smiled. "Thanks, Ava. I was looking for this." "I know." Aced grumbled something next to them, and they chose to ignore him. Gula handed Ava his gift, the one wrapped with light pink paper. She opened it, and found the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. It was a silver pearl cage, with tiny lilac crystals embedded in it. it was shaped like a lotus flower, and had a pale pink pearl inside of it. She smiled at him. "It's beautiful. I love it."

He looked happy, beaming at her through his mask. He fastened the silver chain around her neck, and she looked at it fondly. It was simple, yet gorgeous. She kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you." He chuckled. They heard a very audible groan from Aced. Annoyed, Gula turned to him. "Is there some specific REASON that you're trying to Annoy me? Because it's working spectacularly." Aced said nothing. "Wonderful. Just stay like that." Said Gula. Aced growled, but otherwise remained silent.

They continued opening presents, and Ira got to Invi's gift. It was a Navy blue cashmere sweater. He smiled at it, and put it on. "Thank you, Invi. It's very nice." Eventually, the only presents left were the ones the wielders left on the doorstep. They each room the gift that was addressed to them. In each one, there was a note. Gula's read, "Master Gula, thank you for always being the calm, cool, and level-headed leader, even in bad situations. ~Zephyr."

Ava's note read, "Dear master Ava, thank you for always being kind, compassionate, and encouraging to all of your dandelions. ~Ephemera, Strelitzia, and Ven." The letters were from wielders from their unions. Everyone read their notes, and then pulled out their gifts. They were each holding a crystal pendant, the same color as the ones on their Foretellers attire. Ira's was a unicorn head, Ava's a fox, Gula's a leopard, Invi's a snake, and a bear for Aced. They were extremely detailed and ornate.

"We should thank them, these are beautiful." Said Ava. Gula nodded. "They're amazing." Ira was inspecting his silently. "They're so detailed…" Ava stood up. "I'm going to go thank the wielder who gave me mine. Would you like to come with, Gula?" He smiled. "Absolutely."

They walked up the stairs and into their rooms. When they came out, they were wearing their Foretellers clothing once more. They had both attached their pendants to the front of their cloaks. They got to the square, and Ava saw Ephemera. He was conversing with his friends, different wielders from her union. She recognized Strelitzia, Elrena, Lauriam, Skuld, and Ventus. "Hey, guys." He turned. "Oh, Master Ava!"

"I wanted to thank you for the gift. It was very kind of you to think of us." Ephemer grinned. "I was just repaying a kindness." She smiled. "But you didn't have to. So, thank you. You too, Strelitzia, and Ven." The wielders smiled. "I should be going. Again, thank you." They all waved as she walked away. She waved back. When she got over to where Gula was standing, She saw him talking to a wielder with white, windblown hair, though there wasn't even a breeze. He had pale, sky blue eyes.

Gula said something, and the boy smiled brightly, bowed, and then walked away, waving as he did so. "Who was that?" She asked. "It was Zephyr, the wielder who gave me my pendant. I was thanking him." She looked at him, and saw that he was holding hands with a different person, a girl. She had long purple hair, and golden brown eyes. She smiled. It was Ember, a girl from her union. She was glad that the wielders were making friends with people from other unions. She took Gula's hand, and they walked back to the castle. "Do you want to go to the secret room?" She nodded. "Yes. Let's go."

They saw that Ira, Invi, and Aced were still sitting on the floor with their gifts. They went up the stairs, and walked down the halls. When they got to the tapestry, Gula pressed the brick, and they stepped into the passageway. As soon as the door was closed, She pushed him against the wall, pulling up their masks as she did so, and kissed him.

It was deep, passionate, and full of meaning. He kissed her back with just as much feeling. When they finally pulled away from each other, they were breathing heavily. He blushed a bit. "That felt amazing." She nodded breathlessly. He looked into her eyes.

"Wanna do it again?" He asked. She pulled him against her, and kissed him. They stayed like that for a bit, and then released each other. They walked down the tunnel, and Ava leaned her head on his shoulder, their fingers laced together. When they got there, they shed their cloaks, and sat down on the couch. She snuggled up against him, and he put his arms around her. They sat there, holding each other, and were warmed by the fire.

"Gula?" He looked down at her. "Yeah?" She kissed him softly, and pulled away. "I love you. Merry Christmas." He smiled happily. "I love you too." They stayed there for a long time, and fell asleep holding each other. For the first time since the Master left, they felt at peace. No worries, no problems. Just each other. That's all they really needed.

The End.

(A Christmas In Daybreak Town, by Z. Octavia White)


End file.
